Love football? Kick off the new year with Back of the Net, a new #football course for everyone aged 16 and over!
A place to share your football stories, meet other people and chat over a cuppa.
Starts Wednesday 21 January.
Contact Lorrane for more details via Lorrane.Borwick@ea.edin.sch.uk
Dear Editor,
Many people want to give back to their communities, but sometimes finding the time to volunteer can be a real challenge.
It’s not always easy to commit to a traditional volunteering shift, at a specific time or on a regular basis. Balancing giving back with work, family, and other responsibilities can be difficult.
That’s why, thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Royal Voluntary Service has launched GoVo, a free platform created to make it easier for people to discover volunteering opportunities in their local area, or remote, suited to their interests, availability, and the causes they care about.
Alongside the more traditional and regular volunteering roles people may already be familiar with, GoVo also offers flexible, one-off, remote, and more unexpected opportunities, with location dependent roles. These include dog walking for people with a terminal illness, DJing at discos for people living with dementia, knitting baby clothes for families in need, and providing exam support for young people with visual impairments.
Time can be priceless, and volunteering your time can be even more so – not just for the causes and people it supports, but for you as a volunteer too.
Volunteering can have a powerful impact on your own wellbeing, improving mental health, building confidence, developing new skills, and creating a sense of purpose and connection with others in your community.
So, to anyone who would like to give volunteering a go – even if you feel short on time – I would encourage you to explore what’s available at GoVo.org, or to visit your local volunteer centre. There’s so much out there, and you may be surprised by just how easy it is to make a difference.
Thank you,
Dave Stott,
Director of Volunteering at Royal Voluntary Service
Hillcrest Futures’ Lauriston in Leith service has opened a free clothing boutique for women in supported accommodation, made possible by a strong response from the local community.
Staff at the service shared a request for donations on the I Love Leith Facebook group, asking if people could help set up a small clothing store for women moving into Lauriston in Leith with very few belongings. The response was overwhelming. More than 100 people replied and over 30 separate donations were received, including clothes in a wide range of sizes, accessories and clothing rails.
Unused cupboard space at the service has now been transformed into a well-stocked clothing store, which the women have named The Scorpio Boutique.
The boutique is based on a model that has already proven successful elsewhere in the city. Hillcrest Futures has long operated the Clothesline Project, a fashion boutique within its Bruntsfield House homeless accommodation service, which offers anyone in Edinburgh experiencing or at risk of homelessness access to free, good-quality clothing in a welcoming, retail-style environment.
Yvonne Donaldson, Service Manager at Lauriston in Leith, said: “We often see women arrive with very little after experiencing homelessness. We wanted to create something that was practical, but also positive and dignified.
“The response from the Leith community was incredible. People donated far more than we expected, and it has made a real difference to the women who live here.”
The Scorpio Boutique allows women to browse freely and choose items when they need them, with no limits on visits. Staff say the space has become both a useful resource and an enjoyable activity.
Yvonne added: “It is lovely to see the change in confidence when the women visit the boutique. They enjoy choosing things for themselves and often come back to show everyone what they have picked.”
The name The Scorpio Boutique was chosen by the women themselves, who put forward suggestions and voted, with Scorpio winning as many of the voters share that star sign.
One woman using the service said: “I was made homeless after my mum passed away and I lost my home and everything in it. I was left with nothing. Having the Scorpio Boutique means I can have things that belong to me again. It is not just essentials – being able to get accessories is also really important to me.”
The generosity of the local community also extends beyond clothing donations and into everyday practical support.
Recently, a staff member at Lauriston in Leith approached The Gull’s Grocery, an independent grocer in Leith, to ask whether they would consider donating any leftover fresh produce. The shop kindly agreed and is now providing a weekly supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to the women supported by the service.
These donations make a real difference, allowing residents to cook nourishing meals and enabling fresh pots of soup and other communal dishes to be prepared and shared together.
John Booth, Director of Futures, said: “This is a great example of what can happen when a community comes together.
“From clothing donations for The Scorpio Boutique to weekly fresh food from a local independent grocer, these acts of generosity help create welcoming and dignified spaces for women who have been through very difficult experiences.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed.”
Lauriston in Leith is a supported accommodation service in Edinburgh for women experiencing homelessness.
Hillcrest Futures would like to thank the Leith community, and local businesses such as The Gull’s Grocery, for their kindness and ongoing support.
Drop-in Gardening starts again on Thursday 15 January, and Tuesday 20 January 1pm-3pm …
If you’re looking for a way to learn about growing food …
or to share the knowledge you have…
or for community…
or for some fresh air and gentle exercise…
or to feel like you’re making a difference…
or for a reason to get out the house – try coming along!
Newcomers and beginners always welcome. Please try to arrive 10 minutes before the start time on your first day (12:50pm) – after that, it’s drop-in anytime during the opening hours.
You can get involved with growing fruit and veg in the shared plot, wildlife habitat enhancements, and taking care of the wildflower mound and Community Orchard.
Just come along on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon and you’ll be welcomed in.
We’ve got outdoor work kit you can borrow, plus gloves, and we supply all the tools. Just bring yourself.
Access notes and FAQs are on our website here:
http://www.lauristonfarm.scot/…/drop-in-gardening…/
If you have any questions or need some support to get started, please contact us!
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has announced the largest charitable donation in its history, awarding a monumental £1.5 million to good causes following the success of its 2025 Show, The Heroes Who Made Us.
The record-breaking total will support 15 military and arts charities, significantly increasing funding across the Tattoo’s full charity portfolio and ensuring vital support reaches organisations working with communities and individuals most in need.
Between 2016 and 2019, the Tattoo donated £1 million annually to charitable causes, before contributions were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Setting an ambitious goal to return to and surpass this figure by 2025, the organisation has now exceeded expectations, marking a major milestone in its 75-year history.
The announcement follows an additional £157,000 donation to St Columba’s Hospice, generated through a 2025 initiative that saw 75p from every ticket sale donated to the Edinburgh hospice.
The charity milestone comes as the organisation looks ahead to its 2026 Show, A Call To Gather, with creative ambitions continuing to evolve under the Tattoo’s Creative Director, Alan Lane (above).
The Show is inspired by tradition rooted in Scottish identity, which saw the gathering of the clans become a gathering of nations, allies, friends, and kindred spirits, all with a shared purpose. The call has gone out to attend the must-see Tattoo performance in the summer of 2026.
Bill Morris LVO, Board Chairman of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “This extraordinary £1.5 million donation represents the very heart of what the Tattoo stands for which is using our global platform to make a meaningful difference.
“The success of the 2025 Show has allowed us not only to honour our past, but to invest in causes that will have a lasting impact on lives across the UK and beyond.
“We are immensely proud of what has been achieved and grateful to everyone who played a part in reaching this milestone.”
Jason Barrett, Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “2025 was a monumental year for the Tattoo, and it’s incredibly special to see that success translated into tangible support for so many charitable causes.
“We are of course proud to continue our long-standing support for our military colleagues, but this year also marks our largest ever donation to the arts. At a time when arts organisations are under increasing pressure, this contribution recognises the powerful connection between the arts, performance and the military – a connection that the Tattoo embodies so successfully.
“This achievement belongs to our performers, our teams, and the audiences who joined us night after night and sets an exciting foundation as we enter 2026.”
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo returns for their 2026 Show, A Call to Gather, from 7 – 29 August and tickets can be purchased at:
or on the phone on 0131 225 1188.
New funding will allow every primary pupil in Scotland to access a breakfast club, the First Minister has said.
The Scottish Budget will provide an additional £15 million in 2026-27 to expand breakfast club provision and help schools, councils and third sector partners prepare for the introduction of universal breakfast club services by August 2027.
The Scottish Government then plans to invest £44 million per year from 2027-28 to deliver the clubs for all primary school children in Scotland who want to access them. Every pupil attending a school specifically for children with additional support needs will also benefit.
Breakfast clubs not only give children a nutritious meal before school starts, they can also help improve school attendance and confidence in children, and the option of an early drop-off means parents have more flexibility so they can work or study.
First Minister John Swinney said: “My government is focused on delivering the priorities of the people of Scotland and through our budget, we are acting to provide help with the cost of living and doing all we can to eradicate child poverty.
“We know extending the school day before and after class can help children and their parents, particularly families who might be struggling with balancing the demands of getting to work early as well as the cost of the weekly food shop.
“Breakfast clubs are a perfect example of how we can give families the option of some extra support. Children can get a healthy start to their day as they eat breakfast and play with their friends, while parents are better able to get to work, or to take up training or study, knowing their children are being well looked after – there are clear benefits for the whole family.
“That is why we will invest £44 million each year to deliver a national breakfast club programme across all primary and special schools from August 2027, with the Scottish Budget investing £15 million in the coming year to support the expansion and help partners prepare.”
Scottish Budget 2026-27 – gov.scot
Scottish Government funding through the Bright Start Breakfasts programme currently supports 490 clubs and up to 20,000 children.
The 2026-27 Scottish Budget will provide £3 million to continue to support existing Bright Start Breakfasts clubs and a further £15 million to help prepare for expanded provision from August 2027.
A universal breakfast club offer will be available to all children attending primary or special schools in Scotland.
Corridor care has become such a permanent fixture in NHS hospitals that nursing staff are in danger of “losing all hope”, with collapsing care standards devastating morale, according to new testimony from nursing staff.
The Royal College of Nursing is reiterating its call for urgent, fully funded action plans to eradicate the practice, including investment in beds, the nursing workforce, community services and social care.
Nursing staff say the lack of action by governments has left them feeling “ashamed”, “angry”, and “embarrassed” about the unsafe, undignified care they are forced to deliver to patients.
The RCN is aware of a worsening picture this week as hospitals declare critical incidents and is encouraging members to raise any concerns about patient or staff safety. Read on to find out how we can offer practical support.
Our members report shocking examples of a patient being left in a chair for four days, while another patient died after choking undetected in a corridor.
Nursing staff have also resorted to holding up sheets to protect patient dignity when performing intimate procedures, with a corridor in one hospital so tightly packed that an elderly patient was left to eat next to someone vomiting.
One nurse in the south of England said: “We would not treat animals like this in a veterinary practice, so why in a hospital?”
Another, working in an NHS board in Scotland, told us: “It’s very stressful and distressing at times. There’s a sense of frustration and hopelessness.”
A mental health nurse in Wales said corridor care is a “regular occurrence”, with staff having to increase monitoring because unsecured corridors contain objects and fittings that raise the risk of self‑harm and suicide.
A nurse in Northern Ireland said: “I’ve had resuscitation attempts in the waiting room and corridor due to no capacity. It is inhuman and undignified.”
More than 18 months since we declared a national emergency on corridor care, and a year after we released a report featuring devastating testimony from our members, it is clear corridor care is being normalised and entrenched.
We believe this latest testimony shows the unacceptable practice of corridor care is spreading beyond emergency departments, including acute assessment units, respiratory wards, surgical wards and elderly care wards.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said: “This new testimony from nursing staff reveals once again the devastating human consequences of corridor care, with patients forced to endure conditions which have no place in our NHS.”
As a result of our pressure, the Westminster government committed to publishing data on incidences of corridor care in England in February 2025, but so far has failed to do so.
The HSSIB – the patient safety investigation body for England – released a report in January 2026 on the widespread and normalised nature of corridor care, highlighting that some trusts are reportedly installing call bells and plug sockets in corridors.
As many as two in 10 (18%) UK adults have witnessed NHS care in non-clinical spaces such as a corridor in the last six months, according to new YouGov public polling. Further RCN analysis shows that when looking at only those who accessed care, the figure is more than one in three (37%).
The polling also shows the public want faster action on the issue, with seven in 10 (69%) of respondents in England saying Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s pledge to eradicate the practice by the end of parliament is “too slow”.
“The fact remains that there can be no safe, dignified care delivered in a corridor, store room or dining room, but that has become the norm,” Nicola added.
“It’s taking a terrible toll on staff, but ministers mustn’t allow them to lose hope. Decisive action can restore care standards and stop staff morale collapsing past the point of no return.
“Now is the time for ministers to stop dragging their feet and publish the data, alongside announcing a fully funded action plan and timeline for eradication.”
We want to thank our members who have raised their voices on corridor care to show why this issue matters and why it demands urgent action.
NURSE: ‘CONDITIONS ARE A TYPE OF TORTURE’
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has described new testimony from nurses about the state of corridor care across the UK as ‘distressing, damning and exactly what we see every single day in our departments’.
And the College says this reinforces the need to address this crisis.
More than 430 nurses described the conditions they are working in and what patients are enduring in a survey conducted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), that has been published today (15 January 2026).
Just some examples shared include how a nurse witnessed a patient left in a chair for four days, a patient dying after choking undetected in a corridor and nurses holding up sheets to try and protect the dignity of a patient while they underwent an intimate procedure.
One nurse went as far as saying the conditions are “a type of torture”.
Their accounts were gathered between 2 January and 9 January 2026, revealing nursing staff are treating patients in cold corridors, dining rooms, staff kitchens and offices.
The experiences of nurses build on and updates the RCN’s report published this week last year, titled ‘On the frontline of the UK’s corridor care crisis’.
Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “This work by the Royal College of Nursing makes for incredibly tough reading. It’s distressing, damning and exactly what we see every single day in our departments.
“These deeply personal testimonies aren’t just stories – it’s the daily reality for patients and their nurses, who work alongside our members and their colleagues in Emergency Departments.
“Last year, when RCN released their first report on corridor care, we said that it must represent a watershed moment for the government, a line in the sand. Yet, 365 days on, the nurses voices show our patients are still in corridors, and there is no credible plan to get them out.
“So called ‘corridor care’ takes an immense toll on patients, who will be facing long waits in these conditions. And it takes an immense toll on our clinicians who are trying their upmost best to deliver quality care in these conditions.
“Our patients are being forced to endure these conditions, often for hours, if not days, because hospitals are full to bursting. We can’t move patients out of our departments, and into wards, because there are no available beds for them.
“Those beds are often taken up by patients who have experienced delays in their care, and who no longer need to be in hospital, but can’t leave, because of the lack of social care options.”
The new report also contains public polling which found:
Dr Higginson said: “Nurses have given their verdict loud and clear. So too have our members, and the public – they all want the crisis in EDs tackled with urgency.
“The Health Secretary said this week the government is ‘determined to consign corridor care to the history books’ and has committed to ending corridor care by the end of 2029. We welcome this. This problem can’t be solved quickly. It has been years in the making. But we do need a credible plan that starts now.
“We look forward to working with the government, and healthcare leaders, to implement meaningful solutions, many of which lie outside the walls of our EDs.”
It comes after the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Emergency Care last year published a report, compiled by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, on corridor care. It found almost one in five patients in EDs were being cared for in trolleys or chairs in corridors in England during summer.
THURSDAY 29th JANUARY at 8pm
ST MARY’S EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL, PALMERSTON PLACE
On Thursday 29th January, St Mary’s Cathedral is hosting a very special concert: Daughters of Donbas — Songs of Stolen Children.
This is a fundraising concert for SaveUkraine, which helps rescue children kidnapped from the Donbas region of Ukraine.
With famous Ukrainian singer Marichka, accompanied by string quartet and bandura.
Tickets are £20/10, via our website.
A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment following the death of a man in Edinburgh.
Paul Menzies was found guilty of the murder of a 53-year-old man, Brian Ramsay, today (Wednesday, 14 January, 2026), following a trial at Edinburgh High Court.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 18 years.
Officers were called to Westfield Road in the city centre around 12.55pm on Friday, 7 June, 2024, following concern for a man within a property. Mr Ramsay was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective Chief Inspector David McAlinden said: “This was a violent attack that cost Brian Ramsay his life, and Menzies will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.
“While this conviction cannot change what has happened, I hope it gives Brian’s family and friends some closure.
“I want to reassure the public that violent incidents such as this will not be tolerated in our communities, and our officers will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.”
NEIL GRAY PRAISES STAFF AFTER SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENT
Health Secretary Neil Gray has thanked NHS staff for their efforts as latest figures show that in the 12 months to November 2025 the number of operations carried out increased by 5.3% on the same period the year before.
A total of 272,465 operations were performed during this time according to the statistics from Public Health Scotland.
In November alone, 794 operations took place each day – up from 756 a day in November 2024.
The 12 month period also saw the highest number of operations performed in a single month since January 2020, with 25,261 procedures carried out over the 31 days of October.
Today’s statistics come after Public Health Scotland figures last week showed progress in other areas including a 12.8% fall in the number waits over 52 weeks for a new outpatient appointment between October and November 2025
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “It is welcome to see sustained and continued improvement in the number of operations carried out, despite ongoing pressures on services. This is further evidence that our NHS has turned a corner.
“I am extremely grateful to all the staff who work so hard every day to make progress like this possible.
“We want to build on this success and we are investing £135.5 million to tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations.
“Our record investment in the NHS this year is allowing us to target specific areas that are experiencing long waits, reducing backlogs and getting people the appointments and treatments they need as quickly as possible.”
